I wish to advice consumers who have to get a medical report to support an insurance application or claim. You can ask the insurance company to pay for the medical report in the case of an application.
For an insurance claim, you can add the cost of the medical report as part of the claim and get the insurance company to pay for it, i.e. to reimburse you. This is a legitimate claim expense and should be borne by the insurance company.
If the insurance company expect you to bear this expense, you can lodge a complaint with FIDREC as a dispute. If it is stated in the insurance policy as a contract term, you can lodge a complaint to CASE (Consumer Association of Singapore) that this is an unfair contract term. If I am not mistaken, CASE has a role in the administration of this Act. Alternatively, you can send your policy wordings to me, and I will try to help you to file the complaint.
Tan Kin Lian
Dear Mr. Tan,
ReplyDeleteCorrect if I am wrong. To file a complaint, it is NOT Mastercard “Priceless” but Priced --- PRICE for “voicing out” :
CASE starts S$50. Subject to approval. FIDREC S$250 for consumers and S$500 for institutions. Price may be lower to S$50 for consumers if the complaint is in favor and looked on to.
The above-mentioned fees for logging a complaint will add up to the “Investment Capital” of the consumer. Eventually, the claim received may not be the full amount or said amount of medical fees paid plus reimbursement for the medical reports. Or insurance company will bear the upfront fees for the complaint. Am I right to say that as act of goodwill, anyone can write to you for help on logging complain, and that they will not have to pay the chargeable fees? Mr. Tan, I had ran through the few posts of yours, and was puzzle about the S$30 price tag set by you for a medical report by professional medical practitioners. May I know how do you derive the S$30 as justify charges? Or that is the regular price tag for a insurance underwriter? May I have a breakdown on the S$30 price tag for the medical doctor to re-evaluated the case which often means more than two days or even two months or longer from date of last seen the patient?
Sorry Mr. Tan, I am one who had little education, would like to be enlightened by your expertise in any way. Thanks in advance.
Insurance companies not stupid... you may think it is "free", but they will just recycle it back you in the form of higher premiums.
ReplyDeleteThis is Singapore, where got such thing as free lunch?
Dear Gerald,
ReplyDeleteI dont know u r referring to who by the statement or comment. Apparently blogger is an ex-ceo of insurance company, what makes him not know about “where got such thing as free lunch?” I also glaze at your comments dated 14dec,
“Looking at AngryDoctors reply http://angrydr.blogspot.com/2010/12/penny-for-your-thoughts-3.html perhaps one solution is to implement a "per-page" charge, e.g. $20 flat + $10 per page of report.
That will come up to $30 that Mr Tan proposes for the for 'simple report', and Angry Doctor may not be _so_ angry when he has to generate 12 page reports...
And while we're on the subject, the last time I went to get stuff notarised, it was $10 per PAGE. (For those of you who don't know what is notarising, the lawyer chops a "This is a certified true copy" on your photostat paper and signs on it). $10. EACH.”
=>am very sure Angry Doctor was very ANGRY when he made the comment. Mr. Tan had not reply my Question on the breakdown of S$30 for a decent insurance claimable medical report. I also feel Angry Doctor was so angry that his Flat Base Fee is so unreasonably low, however S$10 per page is reasonable. For a professional like Angry Doctor who had practice for years with integrity, based on his blog posts, Angry doctor base fee should be at least S$85 + S$10 per page. ^^ this explains why Mr. Tan being charge for $80 is not enough to pay for the preparation of the medical report.
“where got such thing as free lunch?”
==> SO, must get someone to pay for the “lunch”! Either weigh the premium higher or as Mr. Tan had mentioned, “get help” from CASE and FIDREC. Again, who pays, but never answer. SO, I think Mr. Tan will pay for the “lunch” if anyone writes to him ^^
“Alternatively, you can send your policy wordings to me, and I will try to help you to file the complaint.”
Reply to Gerald Tan,
ReplyDeleteIt is the right of the claimant to ask for the cost of the medical report to be reimbursed, as part of the claim. The consumer should not have to bear this hefty expense.
The insurance company can recycle the cost into higher premium, but the consumer has the choice of buying the insurance elsewhere, or opting to be self-insured (i.e. do not buy insurance).
When the insurance company has to bear the cost of the medical report, they will negotiate for the cost to be reduced, or they may simplify their requirements.
It is easy for them to make the consumer pay, and the consumer is hapless - as they insurance company will not pay the claim without the report.
Reply to Gerald Tan,
ReplyDeleteIt is the right of the claimant to ask for the cost of the medical report to be reimbursed, as part of the claim. The consumer should not have to bear this hefty expense.
The insurance company can recycle the cost into higher premium, but the consumer has the choice of buying the insurance elsewhere, or opting to be self-insured (i.e. do not buy insurance).
When the insurance company has to bear the cost of the medical report, they will negotiate for the cost to be reduced, or they may simplify their requirements.
It is easy for them to make the consumer pay, and the consumer is hapless - as they insurance company will not pay the claim without the report.